Apprentices on a living wage

07

Jun

Islington is celebrating Living Wage Week and the contribution that apprentices make to the council.

There are 58 apprentices working at Islington council and they are all paid the London Living Wage, which has just been raised to £10.20 an hour. Every year a new rate is calculated to ensure that people are paid enough to live on.

Afsa Ahmed joined Islington Council as an apprentice business administrator nine months ago. She was previously working in retail and immediately noticed the impact of a decent wage:

“Since I started work here I have stopped relying on benefits. I am able to pay the rent by myself and I am also paying taxes for the first time. This feels important to me and motivates me to do even better.”

“Receiving the living wage means I have been able to afford to buy the extra things my toddler needs and I have started to save a small amount each month for his future. It makes a big difference to me”, she says.

Under the government’s national minimum wage Afsa would only be paid £3.30 an hour for the first year of her apprenticeship.

She says, “I have spoken to other apprentices here and we feel lucky to be paid at a decent level. It makes us feel that the effort we put in is worth it. We are being given a chance to shine and show what we are capable of”.